Meaning & Origins

Biblical name (of uncertain derivation) of a Moabite woman who left her own people to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi, and afterwards became the wife of Boaz and an ancestress of David. Her story is told in the book of the Bible that bears her name. It was used among the Puritans in England in the 16th century, partly because of its association with the English vocabulary word ruth meaning ‘compassion’. It has always been popular as a Jewish name, but is now also widespread among people of many different cultures and creeds.

Italian: from the Germanic personal name Rocco, which was borne by a 14th-century saint from Montpellier remembered for his miraculous healings during an outbreak of the plague in northern Italy. The etymology of the name is uncertain (see Roch).